Hiring the right employee for the appropriate job is one of the most important challenges an employer has to deal with. It’s grown to be even more difficult, thanks to the increasingly mobile workforce and social media. Gone are the days when employers solely relied on the interview process to make their hiring decisions. Businesses today can get the assistance they need through pre-employment screening.

Why It’s So Important

Employers who use pre-employment screening as part of their hiring process are well aware of the important benefits. One of the most significant advantages is an overall improvement in the quality of candidates. This leads to far better employees, which means higher productivity and a decrease in employee turnover. Businesses that employ workers for direct service to the public are held responsible if an employee that has a criminal history does harm to another employee or a customer. Pre-employment screening helps uncover critical information about a candidate including any potential risks posed by them.

Following are 6 Simple Pre-Employment Screening Steps

Background Checks

A background check is the most common pre-employment screening process. It looks up an applicant’s personal, criminal, financial and professional records. It is typically utilized by employers, law enforcement, schools and non-profit organizations.

Pre-Employment Drug Screening

Employers use drug testing via urine tests to proactively protect the company from the negative effects of employing people with drug related issues. Drug screening is required for federally-regulated employers that hire individuals for safety-sensitive jobs. Active drug testing programs can help ensure that the workplace is drug-free.

Medical Pre-Employment Screening

The purpose of the pre-employment medical examination is to determine if a potential candidate is fit for a job that can affect public safety, and is not a risk to themselves or others.

Personality Testing

Personality tests assess the applicant’s personality, cognitive ability, current and potential skills and other traits. This information can help employers find the best employees for the job and weed out potential problem hires.

Credit Checks

This screening step checks out the 7-year financial history of the candidate and includes public records, collection accounts, bankruptcies, charge-offs, judgements, trade lines, monthly payment histories and more. Credit checks look at the payment history on mortgages, student and car loans and credit card accounts, uncovering habits that include living beyond their means and possession of large debts with no apparent means of repayment. These are all indications of financial irresponsibility that could impact the work environment. Pre-employment credit screening does not include the credit score.

Social Media Pre-Employment Screening

Today, gaining insights into a potential employee’s character can be obtained via their social media accounts. Employers often use platforms like Facebook and Twitter, looking for insights regarding personality traits, alcohol or drug abuse, or any other characteristics that could influence their hiring decision. Using social media to screen potential employees can also get an employer in legal trouble, so it’s best to consult a lawyer first.

The long-term benefits of pre-employment screening far outweigh the costs, including the quality of the employee, work productivity, and improved customer satisfaction.

Conducting pre-employment screening doesn’t have to be hard. Contact us today for more information on how to proceed!